Pamela K Smith
Biographic Data
| ID | 3924830 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Pamela K Smith |
| GIVEN NAMES | Pamela K |
| FAMILY NAME | Smith |
| SIGNATURE | SMITH P K |
| AFFILIATIONS | Eastern Michigan University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0211-4728 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 35 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 160 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 35 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Elevated Power Promotes Prosocial Behavior More Than Elevated Status
Power and status are fundamental elements of social hierarchy, yet their influence on prosocial behavior remains unclear. To distinguish between prosocial and self-serving motives, we focused on behaviors that provide no benefit to the actor’s status and may even harm it. We hypothesized that high power increases such behaviors compared to high status. In Studies 1a-2 ( N = 824), participants in high-power roles were more likely to prevent harm o…
Self-control signals and affords power
Whom do we perceive as more powerful and prefer to give power to: Those who have self-control or those who lack it? Past theory and research provide divergent predictions. Low self-control can be seen as a form of disinhibition, and disinhibition has been associated with greater power. However, high self-control can be seen as a form of agency, which is associated with greater power. Across seven studies, we found that individuals who exhibited h…
Power Increases Perceptions of Others’ Choices, Leading People to Blame Others More
Under what circumstances do people adopt a choice mindset? Three studies (two preregistered) tested whether higher power leads people to construe others as having more choice. When power was either measured (Study 1) or manipulated (Studies 2 and 3), high-power perceivers viewed others, even low-power others (Study 3), as having more choice than did low-power perceivers. Consequently, high-power individuals blamed others more for poor performance…
The Future of Women in Psychological Science
There has been extensive discussion about gender gaps in representation and career advancement in the sciences. However, psychological science itself has yet to be the focus of discussion or systematic review, despite our field’s investment in questions of equity, status, well-being, gender bias, and gender disparities. In the present article, we consider 10 topics relevant for women’s career advancement in psychological science. We focus on issu…
When and how refusing to help decreases one's influence
Poisoned Praise
High-power people frequently receive compliments from subordinates, yet little is known about how high-power people respond to praise. The current research addresses this gap in the empirical literature by testing the primary hypothesis that high-power people discount others’ praise more than equal- and low-power people. Secondary hypotheses also tested whether high-power people’s tendency to discount positive feedback would paradoxically heighte…
Power and Categorization
Across three experiments, participants formed a larger number of categories when in a state of high, compared to low, psychological power. Moreover, in contrast to prior categorization research, which suggests forming more categories is tantamount to reduced breadth of categorization, high-power participants also formed a larger number of superordinate (i.e., more abstract) categories than low-power participants. The present findings enhance the …
Laughter conveys status
Uh oh.” Random Thoughts From the Recliner
Using abstract language signals power
Power can be gained through appearances: People who exhibit behavioral signals of power are often treated in a way that allows them to actually achieve such power (Ridgeway, Berger, & Smith, 1985; Smith & Galinsky, 2010). In the current article, we examine power signals within interpersonal communication, exploring whether use of concrete versus abstract language is seen as a signal of power. Because power activates abstraction (e.g., Smith & Tro…
The Social Distance Theory of Power
We propose that asymmetric dependence between individuals (i.e., power) produces asymmetric social distance, with high-power individuals feeling more distant than low-power individuals. From this insight, we articulate predictions about how power affects (a) social comparison, (b) susceptibility to influence, (c) mental state inference and responsiveness, and (d) emotions. We then explain how high-power individuals’ greater experienced social dis…
Business as Usual
Lowering the Pitch of Your Voice Makes You Feel More Powerful and Think More Abstractly
Voice pitch may not only influence the listeners but also the speakers themselves. Based on the theories of embodied cognition and previous research on power, we tested whether lowering their pitch leads people to feel more powerful and think more abstractly. In three experiments, participants received instructions to read a text out loud with either a lower or a higher voice than usual. Subsequently, feelings of power (Experiments 1 and 2) and a…
A Snap Shot of the World
Resistance! Do Teachers Dare to Strike and Insist Upon Collective Bargaining in this Neoliberal Age
Summer Just Might Be an Academic's Time to Breathe for a Bit
The Falling of Fall
Feet Planted Firmly
Sanctioned Global Operations
Standing Strong in Disturbing Times
Academia and the Significance of Balancing Scholarship
Editor’s Corner
Lacking Power Impairs Executive Functions
Four experiments explored whether lacking power impairs executive functioning, testing the hypothesis that the cognitive presses of powerlessness increase vulnerability to performance decrements during complex executive tasks. In the first three experiments, low power impaired performance on executive-function tasks: The powerless were less effective than the powerful at updating (Experiment 1), inhibiting (Experiment 2), and planning (Experiment…
An Experiment on the Measurement of Political Knowledge in Surveys
In a series of articles, Mondak and colleagues argue that the conventional way of measuring political knowledge in surveys is flawed. Personality related "propensity to guess" underestimates the level of political knowledge in the population and distorts estimates of between group differences, when a DK alternative is offered. This has led Mondak to recommend the use of closed-ended items on which DKs are not explicitly offered, following best pr…
Legitimacy Crisis? Behavioral Approach and Inhibition When Power Differences are Left Unexplained
You focus on the forest when you're in charge of the trees
Elevated power increases the psychological distance one feels from others, and this distance, according to construal level theory, should lead to more abstract information processing. Thus, high power should be associated with more abstract thinking-focusing on primary aspects of stimuli and detecting patterns and structure to extract the gist, as well as categorizing stimuli at a higher level-relative to low power. In 6 experiments involving bot…
An Experiment on the Measurement of Political Knowledge in Surveys
In a series of articles, Mondak and colleagues argue that the conventional way of measuring political knowledge in surveys is flawed. Personality related "propensity to guess" underestimates the level of political knowledge in the population and distorts estimates of between group differences, when a DK alternative is offered. This has led Mondak to recommend the use of closed-ended items on which DKs are not explicitly offered, following best pr…
Demarginalizing the sexual self
For anyone, the expression of one's particular sexuality can be difficult even within the framework of an intimate relationship. On the Internet, however, many barriers to such expression (e.g., fears of embarrassment, rejection) are absent and individuals may feel freer to express their sexual needs there. We propose a process model by which these embarrassing aspects of an individual's sexuality become demarginalized through identity‐relevant s…
Abstract thinking increases one’s sense of power
Nonconscious goal pursuit
Laughter conveys status
Using abstract language signals power
Power can be gained through appearances: People who exhibit behavioral signals of power are often treated in a way that allows them to actually achieve such power (Ridgeway, Berger, & Smith, 1985; Smith & Galinsky, 2010). In the current article, we examine power signals within interpersonal communication, exploring whether use of concrete versus abstract language is seen as a signal of power. Because power activates abstraction (e.g., Smith & Tro…
Subliminal exposure to faces and racial attitudes
Legitimacy Crisis? Behavioral Approach and Inhibition When Power Differences are Left Unexplained
Feet Planted Firmly
Incorporating Spirituality and the Strengths Perspective into Social Work Practice with Addicted Individuals
In the last two decades, the social work profession began to confront the professional avoidance of alcoholics and other drug addicts, and discussions of spirituality. While acknowledging the importance of 12-Step Programs of Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous, we also acknowledge that spirituality is a major aspect of addiction and recovery from an addiction. The authors present the Strengths Perspective and apply key concepts to Steps 1-3 of the 12…
Demarginalizing the sexual self
For anyone, the expression of one's particular sexuality can be difficult even within the framework of an intimate relationship. On the Internet, however, many barriers to such expression (e.g., fears of embarrassment, rejection) are absent and individuals may feel freer to express their sexual needs there. We propose a process model by which these embarrassing aspects of an individual's sexuality become demarginalized through identity‐relevant s…
Models of visuospatial and verbal memory across the adult life span.
The authors investigated the distinctiveness and interrelationships among visuospatial and verbal memory processes in short-term, working, and long-term memories in 345 adults. Beginning in the 20s, a continuous, regular decline occurs for processing-intensive tasks (e.g., speed of processing, working memory, and long-term memory), whereas verbal knowledge increases across the life span. There is little differentiation in the cognitive architectu…
Affective habituation
Following a functional perspective on evaluation, the authors hypothesized that subliminal exposure to extreme stimuli (e.g., extremely negative or positive words) would lead these stimuli to be perceived as less extreme. This process--affective habituation--was tested in 4 experiments. In Experiment 1, participants were subliminally exposed to extremely positive and extremely negative words. In a subsequent explicit-judgment task, these words we…
Affective habituation
The Unconscious Consumer
In this article, we argue that consumer behavior is often strongly influenced by subtle environmental cues. Using grocery shopping as an example (or a “leitmotif,” if you wish), we first argue that the traditional perspective on consumer choice based on conscious information processing leaves much variance to be explained. Instead, we propose that many choices are made unconsciously and are strongly affected by the environment. Our argument is ba…
Nonconscious goal pursuit
Abstract thinking increases one’s sense of power
You focus on the forest when you're in charge of the trees
Elevated power increases the psychological distance one feels from others, and this distance, according to construal level theory, should lead to more abstract information processing. Thus, high power should be associated with more abstract thinking-focusing on primary aspects of stimuli and detecting patterns and structure to extract the gist, as well as categorizing stimuli at a higher level-relative to low power. In 6 experiments involving bot…
Subliminal exposure to faces and racial attitudes
Lacking Power Impairs Executive Functions
Four experiments explored whether lacking power impairs executive functioning, testing the hypothesis that the cognitive presses of powerlessness increase vulnerability to performance decrements during complex executive tasks. In the first three experiments, low power impaired performance on executive-function tasks: The powerless were less effective than the powerful at updating (Experiment 1), inhibiting (Experiment 2), and planning (Experiment…
An Experiment on the Measurement of Political Knowledge in Surveys
In a series of articles, Mondak and colleagues argue that the conventional way of measuring political knowledge in surveys is flawed. Personality related "propensity to guess" underestimates the level of political knowledge in the population and distorts estimates of between group differences, when a DK alternative is offered. This has led Mondak to recommend the use of closed-ended items on which DKs are not explicitly offered, following best pr…
Legitimacy Crisis? Behavioral Approach and Inhibition When Power Differences are Left Unexplained
Editor’s Corner
Academia and the Significance of Balancing Scholarship
The Falling of Fall
Feet Planted Firmly
Sanctioned Global Operations
Standing Strong in Disturbing Times
Lowering the Pitch of Your Voice Makes You Feel More Powerful and Think More Abstractly
Voice pitch may not only influence the listeners but also the speakers themselves. Based on the theories of embodied cognition and previous research on power, we tested whether lowering their pitch leads people to feel more powerful and think more abstractly. In three experiments, participants received instructions to read a text out loud with either a lower or a higher voice than usual. Subsequently, feelings of power (Experiments 1 and 2) and a…
A Snap Shot of the World
Resistance! Do Teachers Dare to Strike and Insist Upon Collective Bargaining in this Neoliberal Age
Summer Just Might Be an Academic's Time to Breathe for a Bit
The Social Distance Theory of Power
We propose that asymmetric dependence between individuals (i.e., power) produces asymmetric social distance, with high-power individuals feeling more distant than low-power individuals. From this insight, we articulate predictions about how power affects (a) social comparison, (b) susceptibility to influence, (c) mental state inference and responsiveness, and (d) emotions. We then explain how high-power individuals’ greater experienced social dis…
Business as Usual
Psychology (30 works) · Social Psychology (20 works) · Cognitive psychology (13 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (13 works) · Computer Science (12 works) · Political science (12 works) · Sociology (12 works) · Cultural Differences and Values (11 works) · Social Psychology (10 works) · Developmental psychology (6 works)